Bikepacking bike for CJ

Carrie’s new bikepacking bike, dubbed Little Beast, is made for roaming dirt roads on multi-day trips.

The bike sports 26″ wheels and a custom, segmented fork to maximize the space inside the main triangle. We were able to fit a 6-liter Ortlieb Frame Pack. This allows the bike to carry lots of water on desert trips. Since she uses small rear panniers, Carrie doesn’t need mounts on the fork for carrying small accessory bags. Instead, she straps the rest of the baggage under the Jones Loop Bars. This combination of small panniers, a frame bag, and a handlebar roll is an efficient and flexible way to carry gear on weekend trips and extended journeys alike.

I borrowed ideas from modern mountain bikes when designing the bike. It has a long front center for its size. This gives Carrie confidence when descending steep roads. With the Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and 40mm stem, Carrie can comfortably descend the rough stuff that she used to walk on a cross country hardtail.

Sram’s 12-speed Eagle groupset with it’s 10-50t cassette provides a great gear range for a bikepacking bike. The 30t chainring up front gives up a little high end for the ability to crawl up steep climbs while loaded with gear.

Although cable operated disc brakes provide a little more piece of mind when you’re riding in the wilderness, Carrie strongly prefers the light braking action of hydraulic disc brakes. Shimano makes bomber brakes. I have no fear that the brakes will provide thousands of trouble-free miles.

Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in getting a new bikepacking bike.